Let it Burn
by Lord of the Eagles
Summary: Tucker Phoenix is the son of Artemis, and he hates this. For years he had been tortured by all those around him, and he resents the gods, especially his mother. He is weary of running, and covers his scars with a laid-back attitude, and decides to make his last stand against the world and live in seclusion; but of course, the world will not leave him alone. Rated T just in case.
1. The Forgotten Boy

LET IT BURN

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

I know this has been done a lot, Artemis having a child and her hating him. But I'm taking a spin on the 'running from the hunters' theme. This is the story of Theodore Felix, A.K.A. Tucker Phoenix; son of Artemis, fourteen, born 1962, and _he _hates Artemis for what she has done to him.

Now, just who is this 'Tucker Phoenix'? If you are a half-blood, you have probably never heard of him. If you are mortal then you have definitely never heard of him. To say that he is a protagonist is a bit of a stretch, as his goals are not so righteous. He is not deviant, though. He seems to inhabit that morally gray area. I have taken it upon myself to record and document the life of this rather troubled young man and take all the good and bad that comes with it.

Heavy May rain fell on the 1976 West Virginia small town of Elston. The town was just two rows of buildings on either side of the country road that passed through Elston. On one side the country store, the grocery store, the bar, the motel, the church, the restaurant, and the small bookstore. On the other side were the small houses of the people who ran the town. Right around noontime, someone entered the checking room of the motel. It was a young teenager. He had auburn hair and silvery eyes. He wore a pair of blue jeans, a white tee-shirt, and a tattered denim jacket. The person behind the front desk with the logbook in front of him had nodded off; so the boy just slid the book over to himself and wrote his name in it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill and placed it over the name he had written. He walked over to the keys on the wall and picked out the one with the number '7' on it. He then walked over to the door and left the room. When the door closed behind him, the sound was loud enough to wake the desk person up. He noticed the hundred dollars on the logbook and looked over to the keys, noticing that '7' was gone. He removed the bill from the book and noticed a new name under that day's date.

_Tucker Phoenix In: 12:21 P.M. Out: Whenever I care_

The front desk man was confused by what this meant. He got up, walked over too the door and exited the checking room. He walked up the stairs to the second floor of the motel. As he approached the seventh room, he counted out the rooms before it all along the way. When he reached room number seven, he took out his master key that unlocks all of the rooms, and placed it in the lock. To his surprise, the door was not locked at all, so he assumed that this 'Tucker Phoenix' was still inside, and he turned out to be right. He opened the door to the small motel room. It had a small bed, an old tv on top of a dresser, and a door that led to a bathroom. Casually laying on the bed was a young boy, staring at the ceiling with his piercing silver eyes, as though he were looking at the stars.

_Ehhem _the front desk man cleared his throat. Tucker looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Would you mind explaining yourself, young man?" the front desk man said.

"What's there to explain?" Tucker spoke in a deep, mature tone. "I'm a paying customer who rented a room here. That's all there is too it."

"There is more to it than that, mister! 'Out: whenever I care'? What is that suppose to mean?" The front desk man said with an angry expression.

"It means what it says. I'll leave when I feel like it. And don't worry about the cash, 'cause I've got plenty." Tucker said with his eyes closed.

"Well, what about your parents?" Front Desk man asked. Tucker's eyes opened and were suddenly filled with anger. He leapt off of the bed and spoke in a rather dark tone.

"Never mention that word in front of me. As far as I'm concerned, I have no parents. And even if she still cared, my mother would never accept me for two reasons that I will not explain. You wouldn't understand, No one ever will because no one has even been through what I have."

Somehow, the front desk man knew that Tucker was right. He backed up and left the motel room, closing it behind him. After a few seconds, Tucker fell back onto the bed, and after a few more seconds, he began crying. He burried his face in the bedsheets to hide it as if someone was watching. He didn't think anyone was, though. Unlike when those people did those horrible things to Tucker, when all anyone did was watch. He could hear it in his mind, clear as if it was happening right beside his eardrums. He could feel it in his skin, though nothing but air touched it. The cracking of the whip, the flesh on his back bursting open. Warm blood pouring down his back, teeth clenching as he fought back the tears. For better or worse, these sensations were all Tucker remembered of his life before learning about his mother's dirty little secret. Because he will never tell a soul again, I will tell you. Theodore Felix was the son of an important politician. One night, he met up with a young woman at a hunting lodge in Pennsylvania. She had shimmering silvery eyes, and striking Auburn hair. She was the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis. To this day it is unknown how it is possible that Artemis fell for a man, and that caliber of man much less, but she did. They began dating, and soon, nine months later, to her horror, Artemis gave life to a son. At first she panicked, and sent the child away, but not before killing his father in hopes of eradicating all evidence of her shattered vow. The child was sent to an orphanage somewhere in the mountains of Virginia, and there he grew into an intelligent and capable boy. For years he led a happy life, never knowing his own secret, he was kind and respectful to all others. He would throw his body on a grenade for anyone. However, as the sad story goes, on the eve of his twelfth birthday, Artemis and her Hunters payed a 'visist' to her long lost son. Artemis had decided to tie up every loose end she could to avoid her past. They took him away from the only place he had ever known and to a place so vile it chills Theodore's veins even today. There Artemis tried to drown out her sins through the torture of her only son. The memories still haunt Tucker; so much that they purged all other memories from his mind. But, alas, he would recieve salvation though his rescue by his uncle, Apollo; who saved him and took him to Camp Half-Blood on Long Island Sound. But Artemis' rage was still not satisfied. A month after Theodore arrived at Camp, Artemis claimed him as her own, and almost instantly, he became an outcast, shunned and ignored by all; even those who he had called 'friends'. He should have left Camp that day, left and never returned. But he foolishly decided to stay, hoping that both the campers and he himself could accept this truth. Obviously they did not. He was hated, bullied, and labeled a monster. After two weeks of this, he abandoned his life at camp.

From that dat forth, he has never felt true happiness. He hated his father and his name, therefore he took a new one; Tucker Phoenix.

"Do you really think this is the way for you be happy?" A voice from the bathroom said. A young girl's voice.

Tucker stopped crying and leapt back off of the bed. He pulled out a cigarette lighter from his pocket, flipped it open, and lit it. It erupted into a long gust of flame and materialized as a shimmering bronze sword that hummed at the slightest movement. Tucker pointed it at the bathroom door.

"Show yourself!" He yelled. A young girl emerged from the threshold of the bathroom. She was about ten years old, and Tucker recognized her eyes; calming little flames like a hearth...


	2. The Hearth

Let it Burn

Chapter two: The Hearth

"Hestia" Tucker said as he lowered his sword. He flicked his wrist and the sword returned to its lighter form which he returned to his pocket. He did not move a muscle, or say another word, for he did not have anything to say to a goddess, even her; who was one of the few who didn't hate him.

The Goddess of the hearth spoke with concern and worry. She truly cares about Tucker. "Do you really think your mother will just leave you alone? Her heart is still an inferno because of your existence, and even though you haven't seen each other since you left camp two years ago she will still come after you sooner or later. She probably already knows where you are. Let me help you. Don't throw your life away, Theodore." At that last word, Tucker growled and turned his back to Hestia. He trembled with hatred and clenched his fist as he gritted his teeth.

"Never speak that name." He began with anger. "That is the name of a sad, weak, helpless, and dead little boy. I am not that person anymore. I will not succumb to the will of Olympus ever again. I will brush away the hands that extend in false attempts to help me, for I am already dead; for all I care."

Hestia said "But you can still begin again. Please, come back to camp. The others regret what they did to you. They want to see you again." She took a step closer to Tucker.

Tucker sighed "I couldn't care less about them. They made their choice about me long ago, and that will never actually change." He then gave an hmm. "I guess I can't really blame them, I am nothing more than an unfortunate byproduct of a night in Pennsylvania."

Hestia was now very frustrated by Tucker's negative choice of words. Is he really _that _self-condescending? Has he not been scolded at all in his life that he must do it to himself? Or does he just have an inferiority complex? "How could you say that? You are an amazing person, blessed by…"

Tucker was pissed off now. "Blessed?" He yelled "You have got to be joking. All I have ever been blessed with was the brains to run away! My life is a living _hell!" _At these words he clenched his fist so hard it almost began to bleed. But he loosened it when he saw the Hearth Goddess's reaction. She was tearing up, which looked strange considering that fact that her eyes are actually made of fire (You'd think that they'd at least make smoke). She turned her back to him, trying to form word without losing control and crying.

"I thought… I thought I could help you. I thought I could convince you to come home. We all miss you, and everyone was counting on me to bring you back; but I failed… I failed; again." After hearing this Tucker got an all-too-familiar emptiness in his gut, tugging at him. He placed a hand on his navel, and then slowly clenched that fist again, more gently this time.

Hestia could hardly stand it any longer, her eyes filled up like reservoirs and her vision clouded like a windshield in the fog. But then, all feelings of crying vanished in the instant she felt warmth upon her left shoulder.

Tucker, with his left hand on Hestia's shoulder, said to her "I'm sorry; I never meant to make you cry. I guess I am a bit too negative about this, and I guess you _can _blame me for that."

Tucker removed his hand from the Goddess's shoulder and she turned back towards him. For a moment there was stillness, but then, another voice rang out from the bathroom; one sounding much like a mother that enjoyed hearing herself talking about anything.

_"Boring!" _it said. Both Hestia and Tucker recognized the voice without any doubt. With deflated expression on their faces, they spoke their response in perfect unison.

"Ah, crap, Aphrodite." The beautiful goddess of love strolled out of the bathroom with an expression crossed between boredom and disappointment. She approached the Goddess of the Hearth and the Desperado.

She said "It is a strange feeling to be bored and emotionally moved at the same time. But come on! If this romance between you two is going to work, you need something better for my entertainment!"

Tucker said "Since when is this a b-movie romance?" He placed his hands in his pockets and wrapped his left around the lighter. Yes, he's left handed. "We don't have feelings for each other. Besides, isn't it unorthodox for us to be a couple?"

Aphrodite groaned and slapped her forehead. "That's the problem! This story needs a tragic, forbidden romance between a forbidden son from a forbidden mother and a goddess who wants to protect him from his own self-inflicted demise."

_Why is she so obsessed with 'forbidden' romance? And what's this about 'self inflicted demise'? _Tucker thought in disgust.

Hestia said "I've had enough of your meddling in Tucker's life!" Her fiery eyes flared like the sun. "You have no right to make his life more gods-awful than it already is!"

Aphrodite just laughed. "It _is _my right to start romance; I am the goddess of love. But since you are not mortal, I cannot make the two of you fall in love. Oh, what a shame, me being forced to simply influence the two of you into a romance; to no avail, it seems." She turned to Tucker. "Why do you have to be so dense?" she said "Look, for now just be a bit more lovey-dovey for me, will you, dear?" and with that she strolled out of the motel room, slamming the door behind her.

Tucker groaned "What a maroon" He said.

"Yes, but she's an Olympian maroon; what can you do?" Hestia said. She then stared Tucker in the eyes. "Just do this for me, please? Stay out of trouble. I don't want you throwing yourself into an early grave, even for a half-blood."

Tucker flashed a calm smile. "Don't worry" He said "I have no intention of getting myself killed-yet." That last word just made Hestia worry more, but she nodded in confirmation and left the motel room, stopping for a moment while in the door to look back at Tucker. He smiled again and gave her a thumbs up, she smiled too.

After Hestia left, Tucker was lying on the bed in the same manner as when the front desk man found him. He closed his eyes.

_Something tells me life will get much more interesting soon. I just hope Mom won't burst my bubble. But, hey, it's not like there's something she hasn't done to me yet. Everything is gonna be alright, more or less._

He was right; more or less.


	3. The Arrow in the Door

Let it Burn: Chapter three

The Arrow in the Door

Note: I found a good theme song for Tucker. Desperado by Eagles.

Tucker woke up fully clothed on the musty bed. He opened his heavy eyes as though he hadn't slept all night. He sat up on the bed and looked around the room as if expecting something to be different. Something was. A silver arrow was lodged in the door as if it had been shot from the broken window on the opposite side of the room. Since his limbs were so stiff, Tucker practically fell off of the bed. He groggily walked over to the arrow in the door, and noticed a slip of paper attached to it. He grabbed the arrow and yanked it out of the wall. He removed the string holding the paper in place and held it in his hand as he dropped the arrow to the ground, now awake enough to realize from just whom the arrow came from. Tucker gave a humored sigh.

_It's a letter from Mom. _He thought sarcastically. Tucker unrolled the letter. Written in pristine, silvery cursive was this.

_You cannot hide forever. You do not deserve to exist, nor will you for very long. Enjoy these last few days of your pathetic life. We will kill you, soon or later, and we will not hesitate. Resistance is futile._

_ -Artemis_

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Tucker said out loud. This is the third death threat he had received from the Hunters of Artemis. He noticed how Artemis always wrote 'we' instead of 'I', like he was hated by all of the hunters when in truth it was only two... He wondered if they would ever give up on hunting him, even though he had killed a few of them in the past. Although he regretted doing it, he did it in self-defense, more or less. Tucker then noticed just how hungry he was, and left the motel room, not even bothering to lock the door. He walked to the end of the second floor, and slid on the railing down the stairs, only to land directly in a puddle left behind after the deluge the day before. He raised his already ruined tennis shoe as if to confirm that this actually happened. He sighed and stepped out of the dirty puddle. He walked out of the motel parking lot and onto the old, cracked sidewalk neighboring an empty street. No one was out. After walking no more than ten feet towards the diner, Tucker heard a familiar sound from somewhere behind and above himself. A cross between a twang and a flick, and Tucker sighed with disappointment at this repetition. As he did so in the past, Tucker casually stepped to the side and smirked. _Kling! _a sliver arrow suddenly appeared in the crease of the concrete sidewalk and vibrated from the sudden stop. Staring at the arrow and then at the general direction it came from, Tucker spoke loudly.

"You can come out now, Zoe Nightshade!"

A blur leapt from a nearby rooftop and onto the sidewalk twenty feet from Tucker. The moment it landed, the blur came into focus as a tall, slim teenage girl with copper colored skin and a sliver circlet. She held a silver bow in her hands and an equally silver quiver on her back. She scowled at Tucker, more so than she would any other man.

With hatred and obvious disgust in her voice, Zoe said "How did you know it was me, boy?" She said 'boy' as if there was no worse word she could use. She then gripped her bow tighter.

Tucker laughed and placed his hand casually in his pockets. He gave a knowing smirk "Because if you were my _mother..."_ he began with emphasis on the word mother, as if saying aloud was the true purpose of his speech "You would not have actually aimed at me."

Zoe took a step forward. "Are you saying that my Mistress's aim is faltering?" She asking with a commanding tone in her voice, more so than usual. Generally, she always stresses her speech when talking to men, including Tucker; in fact, especially Tucker.

Tucker just laughed again and said "No, what I'm saying is that Artemis would never bring herself to shoot me." He stared Zoe right in the eyes. "Face it; Artemis doesn't have the guts to come kill me herself, so she sends her lapdog to do it for her. How does it feel? Your own Mistress broke the very vow she swore you and all of the Hunters to."

Zoe tighten her grip on her bow even more now, and she trembled with rage, barely able to contain it, like a seawall during a hurricane. Then she exploded, she tossed her bow violently to the side, and two wickedly curved daggers materialized in her hands. She charged at Tucker with skill, but he was ready. With his sword in hand, he blocked her strike perfectly, and for a moment the two of them had blades locked. They then broke off, and each took a fighting stance. While Zoe's was aggressive and potentially intimidating, Tucker's was casual, holding his bronze sword in his left hand with his right tucked behind his back, as if he were fencing. Zoe charged him and attempted a complicated, multi-striked attack, but Tucker parried every slash, stab, and cleave Zoe attempted. Zoe tried to disarm Tucker by striking his blade near the hilt. Though she struck his blade perfectly, his grip was strong enough to hold on, but he did stumble back from the blunt force. Zoe saw this chance and she expertly landed a tiny, but painful cut through his jeans and onto the side of his left calf, causing him to fall to a knee. He grunted in pain and tried to ignore the warmth of blood flowing into his boots. Zoe then slowly placed her foot on his chest and used it to push him flat on his back on the sidewalk. Tucker's sword lay at his side, just out of his reach.

Zoe stood over Tucker, pointing one of her knives at his chest. She should have ended him right then, but for a few seconds, she just stood there. It was a few seconds to long. Tucker, using his hands as a fulcrum, lifted his body slightly off of the ground and tripped Zoe, causing her to fall to the ground. Tucker quickly grabbed his sword off the ground and just as Zoe attempted to stand up, she froze when she felt the cold, hard tip of Tucker's sword against her neck.

"Let me guess, you're the one who _really _sent that letter. Well, _fired _that arrow." Tucker said with an accusation. Zoe gulped, as if she actually though she would die then, like the two other hunters that were foolish enough to come after Tucker on their own. "Well, I guess it wouldn't really matter either way, since you would have come here anyway."

As if carefully choosing her words, Zoe said "Go ahead and kill me. If you do, the whole of the Hunters will come after you." Tucker then smirked and backed off from Zoe. He flicked his sword and it turned back into a lighter. Zoe stood up.

He said "That is exactly the reason why I _won't_ kill you. I just wanna be left out of this crap. When you get tired of caring, just don't. That's my philosophy on life."

Zoe sighed and said "You don't seem to care about anything_."_

Tucker laughed "I don't have anything to care about. I'm burden-free; more or less."

Zoe said "Even though you are a fool, I must congratulate you for being able to survive this long. The longest an animal has ever been able to survive against the hunters is a month. You have survived fourteen years." Tucker wondered if she said 'animal' to describe him, though it was obvious she was. Tucker then resumed walking towards the diner, as if that whole duel had never happened. "And where exactly are you going?" Tucker turned around and flashed a casual smile.

"To get a sandwich, I'm starving over here." He said.

From a bird viewing platform high in the mountains above Elston, the Goddess of Love was looking though a powerful telescope at Tucker and Zoe's duel that had concluded moments ago. A Golden Eagle that was perched on the wooden railing of the platform screeched beautifully. Aphrodite grunted and walked away from the telescope with a look of disappointment on her face.

She said "Ugh, this is awful!" She looked at the eagle with a scowl. "You are a terrible writer! This story doe not have enough romance! It's just _bad!" _

Suddenly, a young voice rang out from the eagle. "Only in your eyes, chief." The eagle fluttered off of the railing. It suddenly began to grow and morph. The beak became a mouth, the wings became arms, the claws became legs, and the feathers disappeared.

In a nutshell, the eagle shape-shifted into a boy, barely into his teens, with blonde, almost golden hair wearing a black pinstripe suit and tie.

Aphrodite said "Lord of the Eagles" with annoyance.

Lord of the Eagles said "Just call me L.E." He then smiled.

"Fine, L.E." Aphrodite said.

L.E. then turned to no one at all and said "Listen up readers, I hope you'll keep up with this story and comment!"

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes in confusion. She said "Hey, who are you talking to?"


	4. The Lake

Let it Burn: Chapter Four

The Lake

Tucker sat on a barstool inside of the diner, eating away at his lunch as if he were a normal human being. It's not like he was trying to be human, he gave up on that a long time ago. There was no one else in the diner, save for the cook and the waitress. After filling his glass with Coka-Cola, Tucker noticed that this particular blonde waitress had stormy gray eyes and she was looking at him with a sense of knowing. Tucker already knew what was going on, and as soon as the cook walked out back for a smoke, Tucker called the waitress over. He spoke to her.

"What is it this time, Athena?" He said to the Goddess of Wisdom, looking up at her from behind the bar with his own fierce silver eyes.

Athena looked down upon him in more ways than one. She said "I had received word that you were here in this backwater town; why?" She towered over Tucker and cloaked him in her shadow. He didn't seem to care that she loomed over him like the Statue of liberty. Tucker was obviously used to speaking to Athena. Or maybe he just didn't care that she was a goddess; maybe it's both.

Tucker looked up at Athena and said "I could ask why you decided to disguise yourself as a waitress." He looked bored.

Athena smiled and looked down at Tucker's recently emptied plate. "Your weakness for sandwiches suggested that this was where I would most likely find you." She said. Athena then straightened her expression "So, why are you here?"

Tucker gave a wry smile "Maybe I'm here for the sandwiches." Athena was not satisfied with this response. She scowled at Tucker, reached down and grabbed the collar of his shirt. She bent over the bar close to Tucker's face.

She said "Allow me to get one thing through to that thick head of yours, I don't approve of your existence. But I will respect your mother's wish. Though I perceive you as a threat to Olympus, I will allow Artemis the rights to your death."

Tucker sighed "Then you're a fool." He said. Athena gasped and released Tucker from her grasp. "If you knew better, you'd strike me down where I stand. Or sit, to be exact. But you don't know any better, so you'll just allow my mother to send her toadies to kill me one after another and never having the courage to come and do it herself. That's how it is. And for that reason Artemis will not be able to see me dead. Not because she can't, but because she won't." He smiled evilly up at Athena. She turned her back to him.

"You're correct." Athena began. "What Artemis is trying to do is futile. If she does not come after you herself, you will stay alive. None of the Hunters can stand up to you. As long as she 'doesn't have the guts', as you would say, you will continue to live." Athena never expected Tucker to be so in touch with reality, strange as it may be. _He knows that he could die a most horrible death at any time. _Athena thought._ And yet he continues to live, knowing that as long as Artemis doesn't face the past, Tucker Phoenix will stay alive as living proof of her mistake. He is hell-bent on staying alive, it seems. As if he wants Artemis to suffer the same pain and humiliation that he has._ Athena turned back to Tucker. _Is that what he's really after?_ She then said "Tucker, do you hate Artemis?"

He was surprised by this question, but answered it quickly anyway. "No" he said.

Athena was surprised by this remark, so she said "But it seems to me that you want her to suffer for as long as possible." Tucker gave an _hmph _and smiled.

"That's _exactly_ what I want." He said. "I want Artemis to experience the same pain and suffering that I have endured throughout the years. The cold, lonely years I have spent on the road, count myself lucky to stay alive." He straightened his face and looked Athena in the eyes. "But do I hate her? No. But she made a mistake, a world-class blunder more like it, and she's using me as a scapegoat. As her son, I can never bring myself to hate her, but that's reason enough not to like her."

Athena said nothing more to Tucker. He stood up and left the diner. He then began walking down the sidewalk out until right beside the bar he saw a pathway going into the woods. Next to it was a sign.

_Take a walk down this historic Native American forest trail, first founded in 1932. _It said. Tucker, seeing as there was nothing else to do at the moment, proceeded down the gravel trail into the mesh of brown and green of the woods. The trail quickly left Elston behind, it wound left and right, and was going slightly uphill. Tucker soon fell in with the rhythm of walking through nature, and he assumed it was because of his heritage as Artemis' child. _No, no, don't let Mom spoil all this beauty _He thought. After about ten minutes, Tucker stopped on a small bridge over a creek and looked down into the water. Smooth, pale rocks littered the bottom not an inch under the crystal clear water. The creek ran parallel to the trail, flowing right to left from where Tucker was standing; regardless, Tucker at that point abandoned the trail to follow the creek downstream. After he endured the repetitive crunching sound of soil and leaves under his shoes, Tucker came upon a large lake in the middle of the woods. He walked to edge of the water and just stared at it for a while. This is something that Tucker does. Water always calms his nerves because it is so simple. No big secrets, no elaborate explanation, just plain water. He began walking along the shore of the pebble covered edge. At one point the ground elevated under his feet, and Tucker found himself staring ten feet downward just to see the surface of the water. He looked and saw a vague figure under the surface, mirroring his actions. He stood straight, the figure stood straight, then he bent over, and the figure followed suit. Tucker hadn't figured out what was going on. With his hands in his pockets, he slid down the steep incline he had found himself on and fell to knee just beside the water. He dipped his hand gently into the numbing water and, with shock, found that another had grabbed it. Tucker flinched and tried to bring his hand out of the water, but as he did, the hand that had grabbed him held on, and grew into an arm. The hand released Tucker and he stumbled back onto the ground. He watched in amazement while next to the hand, a head emerged out of seemingly two inches of water. It was a girl's head, with black hair and watery blue eyes. It was a naiad, a water nymph. She smiled at Tucker as the rest of her form materialized out of the shallows. She was dressed like any girl would at that age. She looked around eleven. Anyone who wasn't a half-blood would have assumed that this girl was, for all intents and purposes, human; but Tucker knew better.

"Oh wow!" The naiad said wit surprise in her eyes. "You must be Theodore Felix!" At the last two words a chill ran down Tucker's spine and a surge plowed through his head.

With frustration, he said "First of all it's _Tucker Phoenix! _And secondly how do you know who I am?" His face was morphed into an annoyed stare.

The naiad just smiled and laughed. "All creatures of nature know the Son of the Moon! Though some do have different opinions of you. I swear, if that pine nymph calls you an 'accident' one more time, I'll burn her to the ground! But that might be hard, considering that I'm a water nymph, but what can you do?" The naiad turned away. Tucker was confused by what the naiad was saying, and he felt another hot surge running through his head at the word accident, though he knew it was true. Regardless, Tucker spoke to the naiad.

"Is there any particular reason you're talking to me?" He said, annoyed.

The naiad gave a_ humph _and turned back to Tucker. "As a matter of fact, there is." She said. The naiad then pointed to the treeline behind Tucker, and he turned just enough to look in that direction. "A dangerous monster is living just in there, and the spirits here need you to destroy it."_  
_

Tucker groaned said "Whatever, I'll take care of it. Not like there's anything else for me to do."

The naiad said "Yay! Thank you, Tucker Phoenix!" When the last two words reached his ears, Tucker grinned confidently.

"Now that's more like it." He said. He then struggled back up the incline he slid down before clumsily. He sighed. _Great; a bad-ass line like that and now I look like a monkey trying to climb up this thing. _He thought. Tucker reached the top and proceeded into the trees. With his hand in his pockets, left hand wrapped around his lighter, he kept a close eye out for danger. After walking for about a minute, Tucker stopped completely. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He focused his thoughts on nothing, clearing his mind. He heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing. When he opened his eyes, he had activated his inherited half-blood power of 'hunter's sense'. It was a gift that was granted to all the children of Artemis, had there been any besides Tucker; much like Zeus' lightening or Poseidon's water powers.

Tucker could feel the world as it was. He saw the world through a new perspective. He knew where everything around him was; the plants, the animals, and of course, the monster.

Tucker pulled his lighter out of his pocket, flipped it open, and lit it. His deadly sword then shimmered in his left hand. He dashed towards a specific tree at blazing running speed. Just as he reached it, a figure dashed from behind it and into the air. Tucker looked up at it and saw a long, leathery something behind it. He then realized what he was dealing with. Instinctively he rolled out of the way, and where he had just been moments before, three nasty looking spikes were impaled in the ground. He looked at the figure that now stood on the ground. It was a man, clean shaven with a hawk-like complexion. His eyes were two different colors, one brown and one blue. Tucker instantly recognized him.

"It's good to see you again, Dr. Thorn!" Tucker yelled mockingly. The manticore snarled at Tucker and grimaced at the same time.

It said "The last time we met, I let you escape. But now, I will eradicate you!" Dr. Thorn then morphed and grew into his true form, a monster with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion that could fire poisonous spikes. Dr. Thorn then flicked his tail and another volley of spikes flew towards Tucker. Expertly, he dodged them, one after another, and stood to face the manticore. He charged at the monster, and it charged at him. When they got within ten feet of another, the manticore made an unexpected move. It stopped completely and let Tucker run straight into it. Tucker tried to stop, but before he could, he found his arm lock in the retched creature's jaw. Tucker yelled in pain, but nothing more. He felt the fangs pierce the flesh of his right arm, and felt the all-too-familiar sensation of blood flowing off of his arm. Tucker fought back the tears and grit his teeth. He forced his left arm up, and focused all of his strength to stab the manticore in the eye. The creature screeched in agony, and released Tucker's somewhat mangled arm. Tucker examined his arm to make sure there was no permanent damage. Thankfully, it was only a flesh wound. With Dr. Thorn still wailing in pain, Tucker ran right up next to him and slashed the creature's front leg. It fell to the ground and Tucker raised his sword into the air, and prepared to decapitate the manticore; but he stopped when he heard the monster cackle.

Pained, it said "You think I'm a monster, but you're no different from me, boy. You too are hunted, and hated, and alone. And like me you will die. But here's where you and I differ; unlike you, I will come back again, just like every time I am slain. But you, you will die and never return to the living. You will be forgotten and erased from all memory, as if Artemis had never broken her vow."

Tucker, with his blade at the monster's neck, said "Indeed, but here's another difference between us." Dr. Thorn looked up at Tucker with confusion. Tucker grinned evilly. "I'm not going to die to begin with!" He then forced his blade through Dr. Thorn's neck, and the beast disintegrated into a green mist. Tucker then relaxed his face into an indifferent gaze, and he sighed. Just then, however, a voice rang out from behind a tree. Another young girl, but ever so more frightening than Hestia.

"Not going to die? Are you so sure about that?" It said. A chill flew down Tucker's spine. His heart jumped into his throat, his heartbeat went on overtime. Another hot surge blew his head apart, his sword arm went numb. He turn to face the direction of the voice, and out from behind a tree, a young girl emerged; with the same hair and eyes as Tucker.

Tucker grinned.


	5. Family Reunion

Let it Burn

Chapter Five: Family Reunion

As he stared at Artemis, the sprinkling rain on the back of Tucker's neck seemed to feel a thousand degrees colder. Her expression was blank, yet Tucker maintained a sly smile. His emotions were torn between fiery anger and cool confidence. He wanted to lash out at her, but thought better of it, for he knew that was exactly what she wanted him to do. Tucker wasn't a fool, and he had a plan. He placed his hands in his pockets.

"I thought you'd never get around to it!" Tucker said. "You've finally worked up the guts to come after me personally." Artemis gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "It's a wonder why you didn't come sooner. Oh wait, that's right! You could never bring yourself to hunt your own beloved child." Though slightly, Artemis began to tremble much like Zoe had several hours before, and Tucker noticed this with satisfaction. "By the way, your precious lieutenant came after me herself. And she lost. So that makes it three times your disciples have failed to kill me. So it's Tucker-3 Artemis-zip."

Artemis somehow regained some kind of composer, if a she had any at all. She said "That score is about to change." As if something like that would intimidate Tucker.

"Yeah, soon it'll be four-zip." He said mockingly. Artemis lost her cool once again. She held her hand up to her lips and whistled loudly. Tucker's ears caught the sound of leaves and earth crunching under several dozen feet. "Well, I see you brought backup, for what it'll do for you." About twenty teenage girls all dressed exactly the same way surrounded Tucker and Artemis like a street fight. Bows drawn and strung, they aimed them at Tucker, as if waiting for him to move. If he so much as blinked they would loosen their arrows. A familiar coppery-skinned, circlet clad girl emerged from the pack of hunters and stood beside Artemis. She raised her hand in a fist, and the hunters relaxed their arms and returned their arrows to their quivers. _Fools _Tucker thought.

Artemis said "I will be merciful and give you a few moments to come to terms with death. You have ten seconds before my Hunters open fire." Tucker sighed and took an aggressive stance.

"I never said anything about dying."

"You do not have a choice. And your ten seconds are up." Artemis said.

In a blink of an eye, arrows flew towards Tucker from all directions, but he was ready with sword in hand. He somehow felt the path of arrows coming towards him. Then Tucker activated his hereditary powers. He suddenly felt the world slow down; he heard not the light rain nor felt it, and saw nothing but the arrows coming towards him. With perfect timing, he spun around, hacking and chopping the arrows, until he returned to normal and watched as the hunter stared in awe at their own splintered arrows as they lay upon the soggy ground. Tucker smirked and twirled his sword in his fingers.

Tucker turned to Artemis. She scowled and said "Do you know how much I've suffered because of you? My existence is a hell and it is your fault for you have not died."

Tucker sighed and said "It's not like I'm having the time of my life either." Artemis nodded in agreement.

"But now I will put an end to you. Personally." Artemis then waved, and the Hunters backed off, lowering their bows, causing them to disappear. Artemis stepped forward, and stood directly in front of Tucker. She closed her eyes and reached her hands out to her sides and, just as Zoe had done before; two long daggers appeared within her grasp. She opened her eyes, and they were suddenly filled with determination. The Hunter was ready to pounce upon its prey. In a split second, Artemis was right in Tucker's face. Without hesitation or interference, she slashed at Tucker's side with all he might. Tucker dropped his sword, and began to fall backwards, ignoring feeling of blood upon his side, a look of shock on his face. When he hit the ground, his head hit first, causing him disorientation. The cold rain had picked up considerably, and it stung his wound.

"Now how does it feel?" Artemis asked as she turned to Tucker. "How does it feel to know you will die a meaningless death, alone and hated?" To her surprise, Tucker got up to his knees, gripping his cut; and to her horror, he began to cackle lightly.

Tucker stood up on his own two legs, shaking. Without looking at Artemis, he slowly reached for his sword and picked it up. "Fool" He began. "What you fail to understand…" He turned to his mother. "…Is that when I know I could die is when I feel most alive!"

Artemis flew into a berserker rage, horrified knowing that her son was not only alive but _feeling_ alive. Charging towards Tucker, she screamed "Alive?! How dare you! You idiot! Fool! You will die! You will die! You will die!" She began to cry from despair. Tucker smirked. With a sudden surge of energy despite his cut, he quickly drove his sword into the ground beside him, he timed his mother perfectly, and just as Artemis reached him, he jabbed his arm out, clutching Artemis by the throat. The Hunters and Zoe gasped in utter horror. Artemis dropped her daggers and placed her hands on Tucker's arm, fighting to release herself, too terrified to pull herself together and incinerate Tucker while she had the chance.

"Fool" He began "I was _trying _to make you mad." Artemis stared at Tucker with fear in her eyes, and he stared back with a wayward smirk. "One of the main rules of hunting: anger has no place in the Hunt. It's funny; this is something you told me, so long ago." Without another word, he tossed Artemis aside like a ragdoll. Realizing his chance, Tucker grabbed his sword and returned it to his pocket in lighter form, he them dashed quickly towards Zoe, fighting back the pain of his injury. While he ran, arrows flew towards him, and one nicked his leg, causing him to stumble slightly but not enough to make him fall. When he reached Zoe, he leaped up into the air, and placed his hand on Zoe's face, forcing her to the ground as he landed. He stood up straight, and ran in the direction he had come from to fight the manticore, which felt like so long ago, back towards the lake. Tucker ran, weaving through and around trees, and soon he reached the lake.

The naiad, who was sitting by the water, saw Tucker coming. She waved happily, but a look of shock crossed her face when she saw the horde of teenage girls shooting arrows at him while in hot pursuit. Passing her, Tucker yell "Monster's dead, you're welcome!" at her. When the hunters passed her, she simply smiled and waved in Tucker's direction.

"Good luck!" She said loudly yet casually.

Tucker left the lake and made his way back to the trail he had left earlier. He turned sharply on it and charged at full speed towards Elston. Since he turned, the Hunters were able to close the distance slightly, and another arrow grazed Tucker's leg. Tucker, however, was a much faster runner than the Hunters, and was able to get further ahead of them. Tucker ran down the slightly inclined path and reached the town. Having put some distance between him and the hunters, he bent over to catch his breath. He looked around frantically, searching for somewhere to hide. He found something better. A Greyhound bus was parked on the other side of town, doors open, unloading some passengers. Tucker, seeing an excellent opportunity, raced with all his might to the bus. Behind him, he heard shouts of '_there he is!' _and _'don't let him escape again!' _from the Hunters. He heard the whistle of arrows all around him, but none touched him. Tucker began to feel an intoxicating buzz in his head from his cut, and his leg began to shake under his own weight. But to his relief, he had reached the bus without a second to lose. He leapt into the bus, twisting his body to avoid being caught between the closing doors. He collapsed just in front of the driver's seat. He looked up at the driver and noticed a familiar face driving it. Wearing a driver's uniform was a ten-year-old girl with flames for eyes. She had wooden blocks tied to her feet so she could reach the pedals. She smiled down at him and he smiled back, painfully however.

"Thanks, Hestia. I owe you one." Tucker said. It was strange how much he could rely on her. Tucker finally lost consciousness to the sound of the Greyhound's revving engine and the sight of trees passing the windows.

"Next stop, anywhere but here." Said Hestia, just as Tucker drifted off.

From the bird viewing platform, Aphrodite watched the Greyhound drive away. She gasped and stepped back quickly from the telescope. She turned to LE who was standing beside her. He smiled. "He's leaving?" Aphrodite asked hurriedly "No one told me he was leaving! Why is he leaving?" LE ran toward the railing and jumped up on it. He turned back to Aphrodite. "Wait!" She yelled "We need to find another Greyhound!"

LE pointed at her and said "That's your problem, not mine!" He then leapt off of the railing and transformed back into an eagle, flying off in the direction of the Greyhound.

Behind him, Aphrodite yelled "Hey! Get back here featherhead!"


	6. Lonesome Road Blues

Let it Burn

Chapter Six: Lonesome Road Blues

Author's note: found another theme song for Tucker: Blaze of Glory by Bon Jovi

P.S. please review.

Tucker woke to the sound of smooth jazz over the radio of the Greyhound. He blinked hard and found himself sitting in the front row of the bus, right behind Hestia in the driver's seat. He felt his side for his wounds and found them magically healed under his shirt and denim jacket. Looking out the window on his left, Tucker saw nothing but darkness, save the blurred lights of some distant city, drifting by like a leaf in a river. Hestia turned around in the driver's seat and smiled at Tucker.

"Idiot" She said. Tucker laughed softly and nodded in agreement. He reclined casually in his seat and tried to imagine how antagonized Artemis must have been feeling right then. In truth, he could not comprehend just how seething Artemis was; and he acknowledged this in his mind with satisfaction. He turned back towards the window and tried to imagine what city he was looking at; Richmond, Virginia, maybe? He settled on that. Hestia turned back around. As if scolding him, she said "I told you so. I told you that your mother would come after you. But did you listen and leave? No. You just had to stay there and wait for her to come and attack you."

Tucker said "Yeah, which was the idea." He stifled a laugh. "I wanted Artemis to come after me herself. I wanted her to know that she failed to kill me herself." Hestia looked at his recently healed side with a raised eyebrow. "Well, barely." He said. Tucker closed his eyes and reclined even further in his seat. "Ah, well. Here I go again. Where are we headed?"

Hestia turned back around towards the steering wheel. "Vegas" she said. Tucker opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm guessing that we're not headed there for a few games of Craps." He said.

"No. The Hunters are hot on your trail, so you need to lay low for awhile. Well, _lower _than usual."

Tucker found a highway atlas on the floor and opened it to West Virginia. "Where in Vegas are we going, exactly?" He asked. Suddenly, the map he was holding began to shift and move, as if Tucker was staring down at the ground from an airplane. The map stopped over a close up view of the Vegas Strip, and a single hotel's name was glowing green on the paper. It was one Tucker knew all too well. "The Lotus Hotel?!" He yelped. "You want me to go back there? Last time I was stuck there for a month!"

To contradict him, Hestia said "It's the one place Artemis will never look. And you can stay there until your trail goes cold again and the Hunters lose track of you. Besides, it won't take very long; in the casino that is."

"How long do you think I'll have to be in there to lose those bozos?" Tucker asked, seeing as there was no alternative to going to the Lotus Casino.

"About three days. They were never good at finding you while you're on the move." Hestia answered.

Tucker suddenly felt like there was something he just wasn't getting. As if there was something he didn't understand. He then realized it.

"Hestia" He began. "Why are you helping me?" Hestia turned around in her seat and raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you could get in a lot of trouble by helping me."

A few seconds of awkward silence later, Hestia answered. "It's just that… Back at camp, no one ever stopped to talk to me while I tended the flame. Except for you, that is. I felt so lonely, and then you appeared. You were lonely too, and after your secret came out, you still talked to me. Your one of the few people I can actually consider a friend. I don't want to lose you, and I don't care if Olympus wants you dead."

Tucker felt emptiness inside him. He had never known he meant so much to Hestia. He felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. He didn't know whether to feel flattered or depressed. On one side, he felt happy that someone cared about him, but on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel like a jerk for dragging Hestia into this hell he lives in. For a minute, the two of them were silent until Hestia yelped as though she had just remembered something important.

She turned around in her seat and said "From what I've heard, Artemis has placed a bounty of 5,000 drachmas on your head; attached or otherwise." Normally, when someone tells you that someone placed a huge bounty on your head; dead or alive, you would start running and not stop to look back for a couple years. Not Tucker.

Tucker laughed and his face shaped into a sly smile. "_Just _five-thousand? I guess I'll just have to piss Mom off even more. Mark my words; soon it'll be five _hundred _thousand!"

Hestia laughed "For that much I might turn you in myself!" For a moment the two of them just laughed until another voice rang out from the back of the bus.

"What are you going to do with that much money?" It said. Tucker and Hestia abruptly stopped laughing and they both looked towards the back of the bus. Seated in the very back was Aphrodite with a smug expression across her face.

Tucker thought _is it just me, or does she show up at the most awkward moments possible?_

Aphrodite took a small mirror out from the purse she was carrying and checked her makeup. "Flawless, as usual" she said. After seeing how Tucker was looking at her with a raised eyebrow she quickly put the mirror away and cleared her throat. "Anyway" she began "It seems like you have cheated death once again, if by a hair."

Tucker scoffed and said "I wouldn't call it 'cheating' death, but yeah." Aphrodite smiled.

"You're quite reckless, you know that right?" Tucker nodded casually. "The king has moved out of check, but the queen and her knights are closing in for checkmate." Tucker and Hestia were both amused by this analogy with chess. "However, things may get more interesting if I add another pawn to the board."

_Man, she's on a roll with this chess stuff. _Tucker thought with amusement . Aphrodite then reached her hands out in front of her and a bright light flashed from her palms. Tucker covered his eyes and looked away. When the light dissipated, he turned back towards the back of the bus; and what he saw made his heart stop. Hovering above Aphrodite's hand was a glorious bronze bow. It was long and recurved like a modern hunting bow. It was intricately engraved all along its length and it left a trail of light at the slightest motion. It floated over to Tucker who grasped it in his hand. The leather grip was warm to the touch and Tucker could not help but feel relaxed and focused holding the bow. He drew the string back and to Tucker's surprise, an ethereal arrow appeared on the string. He released the string and the arrow disappeared.

"The bow of Orion" Aphrodite said. "Carried by the great hunter himself when he accompanied your mother while he was alive, before he became the constellation he is now."

Though he could scarcely contain his amazement, Tucker had learned in the past to question anything good that happens to him. "This is outstanding. So what's the catch?" He said.

Aphrodite laughed arrogantly and said "You're always so distrusting. Half of being trusted is to trust. How can you ever expect people to trust you?"

Tucker lowered his head. "I don't. I don't trust them, they don't trust me, and I like it that way."

Aphrodite held her face in her fingers and groaned. "You're such a pessimist; at any rate, just keep it. It's a real pain trying to keep track of it all the time. 'When you get tired of caring, just don't', isn't that you're philosophy?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't take it too far." Tucker said with an annoyed tone.

From the front seat, Hestia, who was silent this entire time, said "Um, if you two are done, you'd probably like to know that we're here."

Surprised, Tucker said "Well that was quick! What is this, a jet?"

Hestia sighed with disappointment. "You were out for a while, Tucker. Did you really expect us to get from nowhere, West Virginia to Vegas in the short time you've been awake?"

Tucker grinned. "Point taken." He said. He then willed Orion's bow away, ready to be called upon once again in the heat of battle. Without saying another word, he stood up and walked over to the door of the bus, waved goodbye to Hestia, and then he stepped down and out, squinting to shield his eyes from the blinding lights of the Vegas night, glowing like a bonfire in the Mojave desert. He looked in front of him and saw the blinding lights of the Lotus Casino and Hotel. Hands in his pockets, he began walking towards it.

"Here I go again."


	7. Viva Las Vegas

Let it Burn

Chapter Seven: Viva Las Vegas

Author's Note: another song for Tucker, I'm No Angel by Gregg Allman (P.S. leave song suggestions in the reviews; I'm often looking for more)

Tucker stepped through the doors of the Lotus Casino, into the familiar checking room that he had entered a year before. But this time it was different. This time Tucker knew what he was doing. The last time he came here, Tucker had fallen for the trap; hook, line and sinker. He had been stuck in a haze for a month. Then his guardian angel, Hestia rescued him from the hotel; like she has done so many times.

_I really ought to keep track of how many times Hestia's saved my hide. _Tucker thought. He looked around and saw several familiar bellhops gasping at the sight of him. Tucker laughed lightly. _They remember. _What they remembered was the utter chaos and collateral damage Tucker had caused when he came to his senses last time. An older looking man wearing a hotel uniform came up to Tucker with a fake grin on his face.

"Welcome to the Lotus Hotel, if there is anything I…" He began, but Tucker cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, save it, old timer. I know the drill." Tucker said while brushing past the man. Tucker proceeded towards an elevator on the other side of the checking room. He reached it and pressed the button. _What floor was that room on? _Tucker thought. For a moment he tried to remember, and then he smirked. _What am I doing? I know which one. _Tucker entered the elevator and pressed floor number seven. Tucker cackled. _My lucky number. _

Tucker stood in the elevator for a few seconds listening to Crosby, Stills, & Nash over the speakers and the elevator door opened. Tucker stepped out into the hallway lined on both sides with dark wooden doors with bright brass knobs leading to countless hotel suites. Tucker turned left and walked down to the very end of the hallway. He turned to the door on his right and paused momentarily to look out the large window at the end of the hallway out to the lights of the Vegas night. He turned back towards the door and turned the knob. It was locked.

"Crap" Tucker said out loud. Logically, Tucker tried to turn the knob harder; nothing. _Can't believe I thought that would work. _He thought. Tucker groaned, realizing that he forgot to pick up the key he had hidden in the laundry room while escaping last time. Rolling his eyes, Tucker reached into his pocket and took out his lighter and lit it, and his sword grew in his hand. In one swift motion, Tucker sliced the knob clean off of the door. After returning the sword to his pocket in lighter form, Tucker pushed the door open.

Tucker scanned the suite. The door opened up to a large living room with several couches, a few chairs and a fully stocked kitchen in the back up against a huge window. Tucker sighed and started walking across the room towards the kitchen.

"Who are you?" A young voice said next to Tucker. He flinched and stopped dead. He turned abruptly around. Seated in one of the chairs was a ten year old boy with olive skin and long dark hair. He was obviously Italian; or at least part.

Tucker was more or less surprised that the room he had been in a year ago was now occupied by a little kid. "I could say the same thing to you, kid." He remarked.

The kid frowned and said "No you couldn't. Why are you here?" He crossed his arms like he was trying to intimidate Tucker.

Tucker bent over until he was eye level with the kid. He smirked and said "Well Shorty, this just happens to be the same room I stayed in a year ago."

"Well that was a year ago. This is our room now. A couple days ago our other room had a gas leak so we moved in here." The kid said, getting impatient.

Tucker sighed. "Look, I'm only gonna be here for a couple hours, so let me crash 'till I got to leave."

The kid looked sort of uncomfortable with a stranger here. "Well, I'm not so sure about that, my sister, Bianca definitely won't like it."

Tucker smirked again. "Relax" he said. Tucker then pointed to his face. "Do I really look like I'm lying or gonna hurt you? From what I can tell, you're just a couple years younger than me. What can a kid do to another kid? I'm no kidnapper."

The kid sighed. "Fine, whatever; just don't go into Bianca's room. Or the bathroom because she's in there right now." Tucker smiled.

"Thanks a lot, kid." He then walked back over to the kitchen. He leaned over the counter and looked at the kid. "By the way, what's your name?" Tucker ask.

The kid looked back at him and said "My name's Nico. Nico di Angelo. What's yours?"

"Tucker Phoenix" Tucker smiled.

Nico's eyes lit up like he had just heard 'John Wayne'. "Holy cow!" He exclaimed. "I remember you! You're the guy who tossed that blackjack dealer into the indoor pool a couple days ago!"

Tucker sighed. They were under the spell like he was. They had no idea how much time they have been in here for. Tucker thought that he should help them. _But maybe ignorance is bliss. Who knows how long they've been here? And who knows how they'd react? _He thought. He grunted and opened the kitchen fridge. He pulled out a glass coke bottle and twisted the cap off barehanded; leaving Nico with an amazed expression on his face.

"That's crazy! What are you, some kind of superman?" Nico asked. Tucker turned to him and took a sip. He laughed lightly.

"I used to lift logs at a lumberyard. My hands are as tough as leather." He stated his usual lie about his leathery grip. The truth is that his hands got so tough from deliberate conditioning. Tucker trained his hands by any means he could muster. Saying that he used to work as at a lumberyard was just a quick way of explaining how his hands are so tough. Taking a few more sips, Tucker tried to figure out when would be a safe time to leave the hotel. He did not want to be trapped here again like last time. Luckily, Tucker was smart. He knew just what he was doing at this time. _About two more hours in here, and it'll be safe to get out. _Tucker thought.

A voice rang out from the hallway that Tucker knew led to the bathroom. "Nico! I'm done in here! I'm coming out.!" It was a girl.

Nico suddenly showed an expression of distress. "Oh, no." He said. He then looked at Tucker and continued. "That's Bianca! Hide, quick!"

Tucker gulped down the rest of the coke and dropped the bottle in the trashcan. "I'll go one better." He said. Tucker then leaped over the counter and dashed out the door into the hallway. Before closing the wooden door behind himself, Tucker looked back into the suite at Nico. "I'll see you in another year or two!" He yelled. Then he slammed the door shut and walked back towards the elevator. He pressed the down arrow. After waiting a few seconds, the doors opened and Tucker stepped in. The elevator was also occupied by a little girl, several years young than Tucker. At first he though it was Hestia, but then took a closer look at her. She had normal eyes, not flames like Hestia. She looked up a Tucker with a look of utter disdain and contempt.

"Going up." She said. Tucker nodded in agreement. He pressed the top floor button and leaned back against the wall of the elevator while the music played. Tucker closed his eyes for a split second. One moment, the little girl was just standing there. Even before opening his eyes, Tucker knew something was not right. When he did open them, he felt the cold metal of a bronze knife against his throat and he saw the little girl holding it. Tucker raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so y'all got here faster than I thought." He said. The girl got confused. She had let her guard down. Just like Tucker had wanted her to. He took advantage of the moment and grabbed the girl's wrist; twisting it. The knife fell to the floor cluttering around. Tucker lifted his arm up above his head, trapping the girl. She began cursing loudly, and Tucker said "Jeez, what's a shrimp like you doing saying things like that?"

The girl growled and shouted "I'm not a kid! I'm fourteen!" As if it were obvious. The elevator door opened up and Tucker shoved the girl aside, running out. He stood in front of a random door and braced himself. The girl charged out, knife in hand, straight at Tucker. At the very last moment, Tucker smirked and swung the door open quickly, and before the girl had time to react, she had tumbled into the janitor's closet, a look of surprise on her face. Sounds of crashing and breaking objects filled Tucker's ears.

"Ole!" Tucker shouted. He then looked into the janitor's closet and saw the girl trapped and struggling underneath two metal shelves that had fallen on her, reaching in vain for her knife that lay just beyond her reach. Tucker grinned and leaned in the doorway. "Now just who are you?" he asked.

Having realized her defeat, the girl hung her head low and groaned, wallowing in the fact that she had failed. "I'm a Hunter."

Tucker sighed. "That much is obvious, short-stack. What is your name?"

The girl gritted her teeth, but then relax herself. She looked up at Tucker with a straight face.

"My name is Atalanta. Tucker Phoenix, I'm your twin sister"

Aphrodite waded determinedly through the endless crowd of people swarming the gambling den of the casino, recklessly shoving her way past people. At last she came to who she was looking for, L.E. He was sitting on a metal stool in the middle of the huge crowd of people, every one of them craning their necks to get a look at him. "And then the wife says 'you tell me'" He said. This was followed by a roar of laughter from all around him. He was obviously in the middle of a joke. A good one it seemed.

"LE! I need to have a word with you." Aphrodite said. LE groaned.

"Alright, show's over people." He said and with that, the crowd dispersed, leaving LE and Aphrodite alone.

Aphrodite raised her hands "What the heck? A sister? Why would Tucker have a sister? Why would Artemis have another kid? And why does the girl look so young?"

LE slapped his forehead. "First of all, Atalanta is Tucker's _twin _sister, so it makes sense because they were both born at the same time. As for why is she so young looking, it's because she joined the hunt, and when someone does that, the aging process halts completely. Atalanta joined when she was eight. So that's about all there is to it. If you have any more questions, I'll probably answer them later." And with that, LE stood up off of the stool and walked right over to the Craps table._  
_

(review if you guessed Nico would be in this chapter)


	8. Two of a Kind

Let it Burn

Chapter Eight: Two of a Kind

Tucker stared at Atalanta with a look of disbelief, which was most unlike him. He could actually see the family resemblance. She had the same hair and eyes as he Tucker. It is no small wonder how he didn't notice it before. "My twin sister?" He asked. Atalanta nodded. "So we were born at the same time, you became a Hunter when you were really young, and now you're stuck in the body of an eight year-old?"

"Indeed." Atalanta stated. Tucker waited a few seconds, and then bursted out in a wild laugh. He bent over and grabbed his stomach.

"You're fourteen and stuck in an eight year-old's body? That's rich!" Tucker gasped out. He continued laughing.

Atalanta scowled and yelled "At any rate I'm still older than you!"

Tucker stopped laughing and said "By what? Ten seconds?"

"Twenty!" Atalanta retorted. Tucker just leaned in the doorway again, smirking. After a minute of watching Atalanta struggle under the weight of the metal shelves, Tucker sighed with sudden boredom. He walked over to her and picked up the dagger from the floor, stowing it away in his denim jacket. Tucker then lifted the shelves off of his twin sister, allowing her to crawl out from under them.

"This is… Complicating." Tucker muttered. Atalanta kept her distance from her brother, trying not to provoke him. She had heard terrible stories about him from the other Hunters that have fought him and lived to tell the tale. She backed up to the opposite side of the hallway and stared at Tucker, who was still pondering this whole situation.

Finally, Tucker spoke. "So, what made you run off and challenge me? 'Cause you sure as hell weren't ordered to." He said. Atalanta was stunned by this deduction.

"How did you know that?" Atalanta half-yelled at her twin. Tucker grinned and leaned against the wall.

"I've known you for five minutes and I already have it all summed up. Mom had twins, but since you were at the very least a girl, she decided to keep you, and maybe keep your relationship a secret. But you are nonetheless her daughter; living proof of her mistake, like me. Artemis ignores you; she flat-out pretends you do not exist. Feeling neglected, you tried to take me out to gain some kind of recognition with Mom; which was a pretty dumb idea to begin with." At that last statement, Atalanta scowled.

"You're one to talk! How many times have you gone out of your way to fight us?" She yelled.

"None" Tucker responded coolly. "You jerks always come after _me_. If it was up to me, I'd avoid fighting you guys altogether." He sighed. "Don't think that'll happen anytime soon, though. Either way, this was a dumb thing for you to do. What the hell made you think you could ever take me down?"

Atalanta growled. "Shut up! A degenerate like you deserves to die!" She yelled.

Tucker scoffed. "That's a hell of way to talk to your brother." He said. Atalanta scowled. Tucker waited for a few seconds and sighed. "Look" He began. "Mom will never recognize you for who you are. She would prefer it if you were to just disappear." Tucker walked right up to Atalanta and bent over to be eye level with her. "So quit kissing up to her."

Atalanta lowered her head. "It's true." She said. "Mother does ignore me. No matter what I do, it's not enough for her to accept me. I told her that I was going to take you down, and she told me that if I so much as tried, I would be banished from the Hunt. But I came here anyway."

Tucker smirk. "You're really stupid; you know that right?" At that, Atalanta scowled again. "You're a creature of instinct, you think with your gut, not your head." Atalanta turned her head and crossed her arms. "And now you're just like me."

"I am nothing like you." Atalanta said sternly.

"Or so you think. Mom said that if you came after me, you'd be out of the Hunt for good. Now you are. Without the title of 'Hunter of Artemis', do you know what you are now?" Tucker asked with an undertone that simply said _put two and two together. _

Atalanta thought for a moment. _What am I? _She pondered. After a moment passed the ugly truth surfaced in her mind, a look of true horror crept its way onto her face. "Gods above! She's going to kill me!" Atalanta quivered in fear. Now that she was rid of title of Hunter, she was simply a forbidden child of Artemis; the same as Tucker. That meant she was now simply a link to Artemis's mistake; the same as Tucker. And now, Atalanta shares the number one spot on Artemis's hit list with her twin.

Atalanta was suddenly brought back to her senses when Tucker rested his hand on her shoulder. "Mom never cared about you." He said "She never has and she never will. Artemis is a stuck-up bitch. You were expendable from the start. All she cares about is her own reputation. And the two of us are just smoking guns."

Atalanta started crying loudly, but Tucker stopped her quickly with a pat to the head. She looked up at Tucker, and he was smiling. Not one of his witty, devious smirks that made you think he would pull a gun out from his jacket, but an honest smile of pure kindness.

"What am I going to do now?" Atalanta asked. With that, Tucker started walking away from his sister, over towards the elevator.

"Well" He pressed the down button. "The way I see it, you have two options. Stay here and cry 'til momma come knocking; or try to follow me."

Atalanta's face lit up lit up like a Christmas tree. She was amazed that someone she had just tried to kill was willing to help her stay alive. "Can I really come with you?" She asked in disbelief. She figured that she was wrong about Tucker from the start.

Tucker turned around. "I never said you could come with me." Atalanta's face fell slightly. "I said you could follow me. No guarantee that you'll be able to keep up, though." He said. Tucker then smiled as the elevator door opened, and stepped in. That seemed to be good enough for Atalanta. As quick as a flash, Atalanta ran inside to join him, not once considering that this might just spell her doom.


	9. Slow Ride

Let It Burn

Chapter Nine: Slow Ride

Author's note: thank you all for reading my story and for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I truly appreciate it and they help me keep on writing if I ever hit a wall.

Tucker and Atalanta were outside the Lotus casino in the middle of the night. Atalanta was sitting on the curb while Tucker was standing with his hands in his pockets. Over the course of several minutes, Atalanta's expression became gradually more annoyed. Finally, she stood up and turned to her twin.

"When is it gonna be here?" Atalanta demanded. Tucker sighed and narrowed his eyes.

"It's not like I can control that deathtrap of a cab. And for the record it was your idea to summon that thing in the first place. I'd rather walk to Phoenix barefoot through the entire Mojave Desert than ride in that thing." He stated calmly. Atalanta sat back down and grimaced like the little kid she so resembled.

"Whatever; it's just that all this waiting is killing me." She complained. Tucker then sat down beside her and looked at her.

"Anyway you still owe me for that Drachma we used." He said. After several more minutes of silence, Tucker spotted a car plowing down the Strip at breakneck speed, blowing stoplights and weaving recklessly though traffic. "Great, it's here." Tucker stated. Atalanta gulped hard.

The car screeched to a stopped not three inches away from the twins, and Tucker recognized the cloud-woven taxi cab in front of him. It was the cab of the Gray Sisters. The back door swung open at a speed that would have taken a man's head off. Tucker and Atalanta cautiously climbed in. They sat down and buckled their seatbelts as tight as humanly possible. Tucker took out a handful of Drachmas and tossed them up to the front seat. A single gray, shriveled hand reached up and grabbed them in mid air. Then three old, gray-skinned ladies peered into the backseat. Two of them had no eyes. The one in the driver's seat only had one in her left socket.

"Oh, it's this kid again." The driver said. Tucker and Atalanta looked at each other and turned back to the driver.

The lady next to the driver said "He didn't tip us last time."

The last lady said "I don't want to get into trouble because we ferried a wanted fugitive."

The driver said "I don't want our eye getting taken away, considering it's the only thing we have to lose if this we get caught doing this."

"I'll tip fifty percent." Tucker flatly said.

"Deal" all the sisters shouted in unison. Tucker then reached into his pocket again and took out some more Drachmas to tip the Gray Sisters. He tossed them up to the front of the cab and the driver snatched them out of the air.

The driver asked "Where you two headed?" with a raised eyebrow. It looked strange considering that the eyebrow she lifted was the one without an eye underneath it.

Tucker said "Phoenix, Arizona, if you would." And just like that, the cab took off like a bullet. It was dodging cars, running red lights, and swerving in and out of traffic (occasionally through traffic coming _towards _them). Meanwhile, Tucker and Atalanta were pressed back into their seats like astronauts at takeoff when they weren't being flattened against the doors by each other whenever the vehicle turned. They were trying their best not to throw up on themselves, though Tucker seemed to be doing a much better job of holding his lunch down. Atalanta was covering her mouth and her face was turning a rather sickly shade. "Oh, yeah; that reminds me." Tucker said. He then opened the palm of his hand in front of himself and the Bow of Orion materialized in his grasp. "Here, take this." He said to Atalanta, handing it over to her. Somehow, that caused all of her nausea and carsickness to disappear. She hesitantly held it as Tucker gave it to her.

Atalanta looked up at Tucker, confused. "Are you serious?" He nodded. "But why would you give such a powerful weapon to me?"

Tucker scoffed and grinned. "Aphrodite gave me that. Do you actually think I'm gonna trust _anything _an Olympian gives me?"

Atalanta raised an eyebrow. _What a paranoid boy. _She thought.

"I'm not paranoid, if that's what you're thinking." Tucker stated as if reading his sister's mind. "I just don't trust anybody."

"That's what paranoia is. And about that…" Atalanta said; but Tucker sighed and cut her off.

"Whatever; believe whatever you want." With that, Tucker stared blankly out the side window of the cab, as if trying to avoid a conversation.

"Hold on a second" Atalanta said. Tucker looked back at her. "Why did you just give up on your side of the argument?" Tucker sighed.

"I'm not much good with words. And furthermore I knew where you were going with that discussion. I'm not going to waste my time with an argument that I'm going to lose." Atalanta seemed to understand Tucker's point of view. He did seem to be the kind to speak with actions rather than words; especially in arguments. The twins were silent after that; more so than one would think in this deathtrap cab. One of the ladies looked back at them.

"You two should talk more" She said in a voice that would make even the most tolerant man's life really, really long. "I've heard that siblings, especially twins, should support each other rather than push each other away like this. Especially you two, I mean, you don't have anything to lose but each other."

Tucker would have looked at this hag right in her eyes, provided she had any. "Personally I'd prefer to not have anything to lose at all. Come to think of it, I don't. This shrimp here is just keeping up with me."

"Don't call me a shrimp!" Atalanta yelled. But then she fell silent and reflected on what the two of them had just said. They should stick together, but not like this. They needed to cherish what they still had. They needed trust. _I'd prefer to have nothing to lose at all. _Tucker's words buzzed around in his sister's mind like a swarm of bee. Was she really expendable to him? Or maybe she was even less; a burden? Atalanta pushed that thought away; she reasoned that if Tucker thought that she would be a hindrance; he would not have let her follow him in the first place. But still, did he not trust her in the slightest degree? _It's not like I've given him any reason to trust me, though. _She thought. Then again, Tucker didn't trust anyone not matter what. For Tucker, trust is something his is not willing to give. Being on your own for so long, you tend to learn that the one person you can truly trust is yourself. Atalanta thought that was what he would say about that.

The woman driving chimed in. "Well, I don't think those two have anything to worry about, I mean, Artemis won't take them seriously unless they find that really powerful thing she's hidden." Before the woman had even finished screeching that statement, Tucker had already flicked his lighter open and pressed the edge of his blade against the woman's throat. He reached around the headrest and held the driver's head back against it.

"Now, what's this about a really powerful thing?" He asked calmly. The driver started to freak out and with Tucker holding her back, she could hardly control the cab. On the other hand, she drove so terribly without a silver-eyed teenager trapping her in a headlock that one would hardly notice either way.

"Are you out of your damn mind?!" Atalanta exclaimed. Tucker was not listening. The lady driving was shrieking and flailing her arms and legs around.

"Tell me, you old bat!" Tucker yelled. Atalanta was shocked. She noticed how determined Tucker was to make a stand against Artemis. It seemed make sense that if Artemis had hidden something that she didn't want him to find; he'd go looking for it.

Since the cab was still moving, Tucker was holding onto the headrest for dear life; he lost his grip and hit his head hard on the roof of the cab. He fell on the back seat next to Atalanta, losing his opportunity to learn of the 'thing' that the driver was talking about. The cab stopped suddenly; in a fraction of a second. The twins were almost thrown out of their seat onto the windshield. The back door swung open and the twins were shoved out of the cab onto the ground next to a desolate, run-down back road in the middle of the desert with telephone lines going off into the distance. The two of them sat there as the driver leaned back and yelled at them.

"Don't expect to get another ride without at least a sixty percent tip next time after a stunt like that!" She screeched.

Tucker stood up and pointed his sword towards the cab. "Wait! What is the thing my mother hid?!" He demanded.

"When the might of the sun shines upon the fox, the light shall guide your blade!" the driver yelled.

"What the hell does that mean?!" Tucker yelled; but the cab was already speeding down the road and out of site. And just like that, Tucker and Atalanta were stuck in the middle of the Mojave Desert, with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

"You idiot!" Atalanta screamed. She charged at her brother, but he simply held out a hand against her head. Like that, she couldn't get close to him. "You just had to tick those people off, didn't you?"

"Whatever, it could be worse" Tucker said.

"I don't care! It could also be better!"

"You consider being in that deathtrap to be better than being on motionless land?"

"Whatever! We're wasting time anyway!" And with that, Atalanta stormed off down the road, as if Tucker was the one holding them up. Tucker just smiled and followed his sister.

_ What a brat. _He thought.

LE and Aphrodite were stepping off of a half-rusted bus in front of an old fashioned diner. The restaurant's neon was flickering in the night and oldies could be heard playing from the jukebox inside.

"Really?" Aphrodite complained. "This is the place?" She pointed towards the burger joint and made a disappointed face.

LE brushed some dust off of his suit. "I'm telling you, it'll work. I like this setting. And plus, it's not like I'm not trying to impress you or anything. Writing is my hobby and passion. It's not something to do to get recognition, especially from you. I do it for fun."

"I'm still not convinced about this." Aphrodite stated.

"Well, it's not like I'm trying to convince you of anything either. Aphrodite groaned. LE patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, the burgers here rock, so you can't really complain all too much."


End file.
